WINE REVIEWS - DECEMBER 2009/JANUARY 2010

2008 Henschke Louis Eden Valley Semillon  Fresh and rich with good lemon/lanolin varietal character. A little forward but it’s drinking well now.  ($25.00)  Recommended
13.5%  Screwcap

2009 Moss Brothers Margaret River Semillon  Very much in the classic herbaceous Margaret River style. The palate is ripe but racy. Good drinking.  ($27.00)  Recommended
13.5%  Screwcap

2009 Scarborough Green Label Semillon  This is a delicate, minerally semillon, with hints of fresh-cut straw. The palate is classically regional and varietal with lip-smacking acidity.  ($18.00) 
Highly Recommended  Excellent Value
11.0%  Screwcap

2009 Scarborough White Label Semillon  Very delicate and pure - almost chalky - with a fine linear palate. Cellar.  ($25.00)  Highly Recommended
10.5%  Screwcap

2009 Tulloch Julia Semillon  A very restrained young semillon displaying faint hints of lemon grass. Crisply acidic and lively but needs time.($28.00)  Highly Recommended
11.5%  Screwcap

2007 Tulloch Julia Semillon  Vibrantly varietal – just showing the first hints of bottle-age toastiness. Very linear. Impressive. Cellar.  ($28.00)  Highly Recommended
11.0%  Screwcap

2004 Tyrrell’s HVD Hunter Semillon  A marvellous example of a Hunter semillon that is just beginning to show some form. The early signs of bottle age are there but this wine is still youthful and will continue to improve for a decade.  ($30.00)  Outstanding  Excellent Value
10.0%  Screwcap

2009 Tyrrell’s Old Winery Semillon  The nose is slightly full and forward but still fresh showing strong varietal character. Clear-cut semillon flavour fills the very fresh palate. An excellent drink now style.  ($12.95)  Highly Recommended  Excellent Value
11.0%  Screwcap

2008 Beachwood Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc  The nose is fresh and grassy, with minerally overtones. The palate is crisp and clean with a good texture.  ($12.00)  Highly Recommended 
Excellent Value
12.5%  Screwcap

2008 Browns of Padthaway Sauvignon Blanc  A very full tropical fruit style which is still fresh and drinking well.  ($16.00)  Recommended
12.5%  Screwcap

2009 Giesen Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Quite restrained, showing subdued grassy aromatics. Well made, clean and dry.  ($16.00)  Highly Recommended  Excellent Value
13.0%  Screwcap

2008 Giesen The Brothers Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc  Slightly developed but still shows good varietal grassy/gooseberry character. Enjoyable now.  ($23.00)  Recommended
13.5%  Screwcap

2009 Tiger’s Tale Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc Semillon  The passionfruit aromas are fresh and appealing as is the vibrant racy palate. Excellent summer drinking.  ($18.00)  Highly Recommended  Excellent Value
13.0%  Screwcap

2009 Mountadam Eden Valley Riesling  Richly limey on the nose but still fresh.  Good short term drinking.  Recommended
13.5%  Screwcap

2009 Shaw Reserve Isabella Riesling  Very precise floral-lime nose. Slightly sweet, but well balanced and long on the finish. ($28.00)  Recommended
11.0%  Screwcap

2007 Bushrangers Bounty (Mulyan) Cowra Chardonnay  Simple and peachy, but fresh and full flavoured. Good for the price.  ($15.00)  Recommended
13.1%  Screwcap

2008 Coldstream Hills Yarra Valley Chardonnay  Yet another classy release from this very consistent line. Subtle barrel ferment overtones greatly enhance the white peach chardonnay aromas and flavours. The palate is creamy and long.  ($29.00)  Highly Recommended
13.5%  Screwcap

2009 Draytons Pokolbin Chardonnay A fresh, richly flavoured, ready to drink chardonnay with attractive nutty complexity.  ($20.00)  Recommended
12.5%  Screwcap

2004 Geoff Merrill Reserve Chardonnay  Rich and developed but still drinking well. An ideal wine for those who want to drink a fully mature white with a fresh finish.  ($24.00)  Recommended
13.5%  Screwcap

2008 Helen’s Hill Yarra Valley Chardonnay  This is a perfectly poised chardonnay. The vibrant white peach combines beautifully with the toasted cashew aromas and flavours. Very lively and long with a lovely acid finish.  ($30.00)  Highly Recommended
12.4%  Screwcap

2008 Printhie MCC Orange Chardonnay  This is a very impressive wine. The nose combines white peach, grapefruit, quality oak, barrel ferment nuttiness and struck match complexity beautifully. A gorgeous cool climate chardonnay with a long line of racy acidity.  ($35.00)  Highly Recommended
13.5%  Screwcap

2009 Rosemount Estate Show Reserve Robe Chardonnay  Quite grapefruity, with a good texture and fresh acidity. Drinking well.  ($20.00)  Recommended
13.5%  Screwcap

2009 Tyrrell’s Basket Press Chardonnay  Very fresh melon nose.  A lively Chablis style with potential.  ($21.00)  Recommended
Screwcap

2009 Tyrrell’s Vat 63 Chardonnay Semillon  The nose is very attractive, combining the peach of chardonnay with the lemon of semillon. Has good acidity and will age well.  ($21.00)  Recommended
12.5%  Screwcap

2009 Bremerton Verdelho  Classic sherbet nose – lemony flavour – drinks well now.  ($16.95)  Recommended
13.0%  Screwcap

2008 Fattori Danieli Soave This is a very fresh, cleanly made Soave with tropical fruit aromas and a lively well balanced palate. Very enjoyable drinking.  ($25.00)  Highly Recommended
Cork

2009 Fox Gordon Abby Adelaide Hills Viognier  Very fresh tinned apricot nose and flavour. A little firm on the finish.  Recommended
13.5%  Screwcap

2007 Mulyan Cowra Viognier  Attractively mature and varietal. Has, texture, structure and appealing apricot  fruit.  ($20.00)  Highly Recommended  Excellent Value
15.1%  Screwcap

2008 Patina Orange Pinot Gris  Very fresh malty/pear aromas and flavours. Good texture, with some grip on the finish. Plenty of fruit. ($22.00)  Recommended
13.6%  Screwcap

2009 Tahbilk Marsanne  Shows very fresh tropical fruit/papaya aromas. The palate is vibrant, lifted by lemony acidity.  ($15.65)  Highly Recommended  Excellent Value
13.5%  Screwcap

2009 Tahbilk Viognier  Very fresh apricot and rose water aromas and flavours. At the big alcoholic end. ($21.50)  Recommended
14.0%  Screwcap

2009 Tscharke Girl Talk Barossa Valley Savagnin  Rich forward and lemony, with an attractive twist of lemon rind on the rich palate.  ($21.00)  Recommended
12.5%  Screwcap

2009 Tulloch Verdelho  Very attractive melon/lemon/tropical.  Zippy and fresh. ($16.00) 
Highly Recommended  Excellent Value
13.0%  Screwcap

2009 Eva Savagnin by Damien Tscharke  This is a well made, clean sweet white which is lively and uncomplicated. The flavours range from tropical fruits to citrus and the finish is acid-fresh.   Recommended
8.0%   Screwcap

2009 Patina Sticky Tea Riesling  This is a genuinely interesting wine from the Orange region of New South Wales. The nose is perfumed and spicy and the palate combines medium-level sweetness with a slight phenolic grip and zippy acidity. An aperitif rather than a dessert style.  ($22.00/375ml)  Recommended
7.6%  Screwcap

2008 Punt Road Botrytis Semillon  The nose is fresh and impressive showing complex marmalade botrytis aromas. The palate is rich and sweet but doesn’t cloy on the finish. A well made “sticky” for enjoyment in the short term.  ($32.00/500ml)  Highly Recommended
13.5%  Screwcap

2009 Scarborough Late Harvest Semillon  A strongly varietal wine with obvious citrus characteristics and a good rich palate. Ideal with summer berries.  ($20.00/375ml)  Recommended
12.0%  Screwcap

2007 West End 3 Bridges Golden Mist Botrytis  This is a very intense almost syrupy sweet white yet it is well balanced with a fresh finish. Botrytis complexity is evident and the flavour tends to dried peach.   Highly Recommended
12.5%  Screwcap

SHIRAZ

2006 Audrey Wilkinson The Lake Reserve Shiraz  Shows attractive red fruits flavours. Very fresh and balanced, with good regional character.  ($60.00)  Highly Recommended
13.5%

2008 Moppity Vineyards Hilltops Shiraz  A classy shiraz that offers red fruits and black pepper characteristics. Delicious and seamless.  ($20.00)  Highly Recommended  Excellent Value
15.0%  Screwcap

2007 Mulyan Block 9 Shiraz Viognier  Shows attractive perfumed red fruits aromas.  Supple and ready.  ($25.00)  Highly Recommended
14.2%  Screwcap

2008 Richard Hamilton McLaren Vale Shiraz  Shows rich mulberry characteristics and well integrated oak, all enlivened by a fresh acid finish. Needs a little time.   ($17.95)  Highly Recommended  Excellent Value
14.5%  Screwcap

2008 Swinging Bridge Canowindra Shiraz  A powerful fresh blackberry-scented red with a spicy overtone. Should improve over the next 2-3 years. ($20.00)  Highly Recommended  Excellent Value
14.1%  Screwcap

CABERNET & BLENDS

2007 Howard Park Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon  This wine has impressive red berry/blackcurrant characteristics. The fine skin tannins and oak provide excellent balance and structure.  ($85.00)  Highly Recommended
14.0%  Screwcap

2007 Lenton Brae Wilyabrup Cabernet Sauvignon  A fresh blackcurrant style with a faintly green edge, but it stays on the right side of the ripeness line. A classic style.  ($50.00)  Highly Recommended
13.5%  Screwcap

2004 Leeuwin Estate Prelude Margaret River Cabernet Merlot  Very much in the red fruits range of flavours with a slight touch of greenness.  ($27.00)  Recommended 
13.5%  Screwcap

2004 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon  Shows the classic cabernet characteristics of cassis and tobacco-leaf. The palate is long, fine and firm. A very stylish cabernet with great cellaring potential.  ($50.00)  Highly Recommended
14.5%  Screwcap

2006 Meerea Park Cabernet Merlot  The fresh red fruits flavours have appeal, as does the rich and supple palate.  ($23.00)  Recommended
14.0%  Screwcap

2008 Pepperjack Cabernet Sauvignon  A rich, ripe, youthful cabernet that reflects its warm area origins but still retains varietal character. Well made.  ($25.00)  Recommended
14.5%  Screwcap

2007 Plantagenet Cabernet Sauvignon  Brilliantly combines red berry and blackcurrant aromas and flavours. The freshness and fine structure are admirable.  ($40.00)  Outstanding
14.0%  Screwcap

2008 St Huberts Yarra Valley Cabernet Merlot  A fresh red fruits style with fine firm tannins. Short term.  ($27.00)  Recommended
13.5%  Screwcap

2007 Woodside Valley Estate Baudin Cabernet Sauvignon  Quite leafy and oaky on the red fruits nose. The tannins are ripe but the red fruits flavour lacks a little intensity.   ($N/A)  Recommended
14.0%  Diam cork

OTHER REDS

2008 Ara Marlborough Pinot Noir   Shows attractive raspberry aromas enhanced by whole-bunch complex notes. There’s a faintly herbal edge to the flavour.  ($32.00)  Recommended
13.0%  Screwcap

2007 Frankland Estate Olmo’s Reward (Merlot, Cabernet Franc Malbec)  This is a stunning red wine which delivers intense dark berry flavour backed by fine, powdery tannins and subtle oak. The finish is very long indeed, and cellaring will be richly rewarded.  ($35.00)  Outstanding  Excellent Value
14.0%  Screwcap

2007 Henschke Keyneton Euphonium (Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc) This delicious, easy to drink red offers the chance to experience the Henschke style without paying Hill Of Grace prices. The plummy/red berry flavours are appealing and the tannins are very fine. Good drinking.  ($38.00)  Highly Recommended
14.0%  Screwcap

2007 Montana Reserve Hawke’s Bay Merlot  The nose shows very attractive dark fruits and mulberry aromas. The palate is supple, fine, firm and plummy. Delicious.  ($22.50)  
Highly Recommended  Excellent Value
13.5%  Screwcap

2007 Smith & Hooper Wrattonbully Merlot  Quite blackcurrant-like on the nose and has a savoury feel imparted by fine tannins. Firm but enjoyable.  Recommended
13.5%  Cork

2007 Spring Ridge Cowra Merlot  A fresh plummy style that is firm on the finish but approachable. Enjoy it now.  ($19.00)  Recommended
14.6%  Screwcap

2008 Water Wheel Memsie Homestead (87% Shiraz, 7% Malbec, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon)  The fresh rich raspberry-scented nose is very appealing, and the firm, long palate is packed with flavour. ($15.00)  Highly Recommended  Excellent Value
14.0%  Screwcap